Aksay Pocket

The Aksay Pocket was a Soviet encirclement of Axis troops that lasted from 12 to 17 February 1943 when over 100,000 Axis troops were encircled by nearly 200,000 Soviet Red Army troops in Rostov Oblast, southern Russia. 49,907 German and Romanian troops under Friedrich Kirchner were trapped in Aksay by 26,572 Soviet troops under Mikhail F. Lukin, 26,975 troops under Hermann Balck were trapped in Kamensk-Sahtinskji by 86,972 Soviet troops under Kuzma Trufanov. On 15 February 1943, the Soviets took Aksay, followed by Kamensk-Sahtinskji on 17 February. Shakhty continued to hold out for a few more days, but the Axis defense was doomed to failure as more Soviet troops were built up for the assault on the town. The encirclement cost the Germans and Romanians dearly, and they lost a sizeable army.